Knitting method and machine



1941; H. E. HOUSEMAN 2,264,977

KNITTING. METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec.2, 1941. H. E. HoUsEMAN KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 19404 SheetS-rSheet 2 Dec. 2, 1941.

KNITTING METHOD AND MAQHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet sWITNESS.-

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H. E. HOUSEMAN KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Dec. 2, 1941.

Filed Sept. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ling-slider providing for atentedDena 3%1 354,917 I msrr'rmd lus'mon arm moms Harold a. Houseman,Laconia, 1th., assignor to and Incorporated, N. E, a ccrporanon oi hnsetlaconic, ts

- new Application September is, rate, serial No. stem (cits-1s) 16mins.

This invention relates to a knitting method and machine and particularlyto-the production of designs by tuclnng.

The usual method of producing tuck stitches involves the selectiveclearing of the latches oi latch needles in various iashions. In thesemethods, however, the raising of instep needles to inactive positionduring heel knitting necessarily efiects the clearing of the latches ofall such needles by the loops which they hold. If the tuck design occursin every course, this means that there is a break in the patternoccurring through the instep in theceurse hilt in coming out of theheel.

An alterm'itive method of producing "tuck needles below their latchesthereby resting with the loops alreadyon the needles. This method ofproducing tuck stitchw has not been usable.-

Figure 3 is an interior development of the slider controlling camsomitting those not concerned 7 with the invention;

however, since these selected needles do not draw loops of yarn in theformation of the course in which the yarns are laid'below their latches,and

the gathered loops when cast are, therefore, very tight, and theresulting 'fabrichas an undesirable chine, though, as will-:be evident,the invention is applicable tomachines of other types.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method ofselection of 'mitting elements to provide patterning throughout acomplete circumference of a stocking.

Further objects of the invention, particularly relating to details andthe accomplishment of the above objectsin simple fashion, will becomeapparent from the following description, read in conjunction-with theaccompanylngdrawings, in

which:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a knitting machine of thesuperposed cylinder type showing only those parts which are concernedwith the features of thepresent invention;

Figure '2 is a perspective view, illustrating in particular yarncontrolling elements associated with the needles and the type of needlecontrolthe selective formation of tuck stitches;

Figure s is a plan view, partly in section, showing the patterncontrolling mechanism;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of certain elements arranged to controlthe advance of a pattern trick wheel;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the elements of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a diagram indicating the fashion in which the patterncontrolling butts of the trick wheel elements are arranged.

The machine is shown as of the superposed cylinder type comprising upperand lower cylinders .2 and 8, respectively, provided with verticallyaligned slots for the reception of double ended I latch needles ,6.These needles are controlled by upper and lower sliders in the usualfashion, only the lower sliders being illustrated at 5 in Figure 2,these being provided with hooks 9 for engage-= ment with the lowerneedle hooks. These lower sliders are provided with knitting butts Itwhich.

as usual, are of two lengths, those of longer length being carried bythe sliders of instep needles and those of shorter length by the slidersof solo needles. The sliders are also provided with transfer butts i201' various lengths permitting selective transfers of the needlesbetween the cylinders in usual fashion to provide, for example, i x lribs-at the top of the stocking, 6 x 3 ribs in the leg and-instep, andplainmitted sole, heel and toe. The particular control of the needlesfor the formation of ribs forms no part oi the present invention, andreference may be made to the prior art, for example, my Patent2,170,078,

- for discussion of operations involved in the ior= motion of varioustypes of stocmngs. The present invention is concerneias applied to themachine herein described, with the production of tuck patterns betweenbroad ribs knit by needles in the upper cylinder.

The sliders B, besides the butts it and. it reierred to above, areprovided with selector-butts occupying selectively the positions is, it,as or it. As will be evident" hereafter, for the production of moreelaborate patterns greater numbers of selector butts may be provided. Ingeneral, the sliders are provided to the mittingrna chineoperator with afull set of these selector butts, which are adapted tone broken or cuted hooks 24 arranged to receive the yarn during the knitting operation.These sinkers 22 are semi-circular in shape and are mounted insemicircular guide slots so as to be controlled by conventional sinkercams.

As described, for example, in Bentley et al. Patent 1,986,317, thesinkers of a machine of this type are desirably associated withshielding de.-' vices 26 provided with butts corresponding to the sinkerbutts so that they partake of the movements of the sinkers throughcircular arcs. They are, however, of less radial dimensions than thesinkers, so that they may be moved upwardly relative to the sinkers byengagement with extensions 28 projecting outwardly .therefrom oflaterally extending lugs 30 provided on the sliders 8. In said Bentleyet al. patent, in which the nature of these devices is described ingreater detail, they are provided for the purpose of preventing the yarnfrom entering the hooks of sinkers which are associated with the needlesselectively raised out of action in the narrowing operations involved inthe formation of heels and toes. In accordance with the presentinvention, I have found that these devices 26 may be used withoutstructural change in association with needles involved in tucking forthe proper control of yarn in effecting tucking in the fashion indicatedabove to secure stitches of suitable character. It has been founddesirable to bevel off the outer-"corners of the associated sinkers 22,as indicated at 32, to secure a smoother control of the yarn.

Before proceeding with the description of the fashion in which the yarnis controlled in-the formation of tuck stitches, brief reference may bemade to the cam layout fragmentarlly illustrated in Figure 3, in whichthe top center cam is illustrated at 34 and the forward stitch cam at36. Located above the top center cam is a guard cam 38 between which andthe center cam there is defined the level of the knitting butts of thelower sliders which hold their needles in position to efiect tucking bythe reception below the needle'latches of yarn from one or more of theyarn fingers indicated at I. This level is also the level assumed by theknitting butts of the instep sliders during the formation of heels andtoes.

Slide cams 52, 54, 56 and 58 are providedto cooperate respectively withselector butts in the various positions l4, l6, l8 and 20. Bycooperation with such butts, the needles may be divided into two series,as indicated by the diagrammatic representation of the knitting butts inFigure 3, the sliders having butts engaging the cam slides being raisedby them to the tuck level, while the other sliders pass through theknitting cams to cause their needles to take yarn in the usual fashion.A cam 44 serves to bring all of the sliders and their associated needlesto a common level prior to selective action thereon of the cam slides 52to 5B. The positions of the lower and upper transfer cams are indicatedat ll and 42, respectively. A vertically movable cam 45 serves to raiseinstep needles prior to the formation of heels and toes, and a secondfunction of cam 44 is to restore these needles to active position.

The fashion in which tuck stitches are produced may now be described. Asalready indicated, the needles which are raised to tuck level receivethe yarns below their latches, so that these yarns lie thereon with theloops which the action of the clearing cam in the formation of thepreceding course. In the formation of the next subsequent course, theyarn will be drawn by the hook of the needle through the two loops lyingon its shank (one a concatenated loop and the other constituting afloat), thus providing a tuck stitch formation.

- .If the above was the sole operation involved, it will be evident thatthe loop formed by the yarn which was laid on the shank of the needlebelow its latch would contain substantially less yarn than the otherloops and therefore the fabrioat this region as the long tuck loop isdrawn would be subject to considerable added tension in its formation.(It is the general region in which the tuck stitch is formed rather thanany particular loop which must be said to lack sufllcient yarn, sinceall the adjacent loops are distorted by reason of the insumciency ofyarn.) To avoid this, use is made of the elements 28, as illustrated inFigure 2. The lug 3. is so positioned on the slider l that as thatslider rises to lift its needle to the tuck level, it will engage theelement to raise its upper edge substantially above the level of theupper edge of the sinker on which the loops normally rest. As a result,the yarn occupies, when stitches are being drawn, a positionsubstantially higher than normal between the yarn drawing needles whichare drawing loops on opposite sides of the needle occupying the tuckinglevel, thus providing between these latter needles an extra amount ofyarn available subsequently to provide a hack stitch structure withoutproducing an undue amount of tension. The element 2', of course, alsoserves to prevent this portion of the yarn extending across the tuckingneedle from being engaged by the hook of the sinker following it. As thesinker moves inwardly, therefore, in its normal wave, its hook movesbelow the yarn extending over the element 28, The beveled edge 32permits it to move outwardly thereafter, freely camming the yarnupwardly without pushing it outwardly. The elements 28 move inwardlywith the sinkers and, of course, drop downwardunder the tension of theyarn as soon as the lugs 30 disengage them by the action of cam 44 onthe sliders. Instead of providing the special elements 26, the sinkersthemselves may be selectively raised to provide the extra yarn. Or,alternatively, the sinkers may be caused to engage the yarn on bothsides of the raised needle and be given an inward movement of abnormalextent; however, this, unless the sinker movement is quite considerable,does not lead so easily to the considerable slack required, andselective actuation bf a sinker in thisfashion is a matter of somedifllculty.

Whereas by the usual method of tucking, a tucking needle can only drawslack yarn equivalent-to loops drawn by needles which are knitting, bythe new method, large loops for more open tucked effects may be formedat the tuckins needle.

In the formation of tuck designs on needles,

between broad ribs. it is generally desirable that, through theformation of the leg, the same de-- sign extend through all of the plainpanels. If. as is usual, the broad ribs continue through the instep butare interrupted in the sole, the same design should be continued withoutinterruption through the instep plain panels between the ribs, therebeing no interruption of the design at the course which is firstproduced after coming out have been drawn and cast of! the latches by.75 of the heel. Itis also desirable that there should I @acin the pawlfollowing advance by be no region in the rear of the stocking wheretucking will-be omitted For thepurposc oi securing proper controlo! thesliders to eilect these results, there are provided, in accordance withthe invention, control devices of a type which will now be described,which, as will be clear from the following description, are of moregeneral application. 1

A series of levers 82, M, t! and 58, respectively, engage the slide came52, 54, 56 and to to eflect their selective inward and outwardmovements. These levers are provided with shoes it engageable by patternelements I6 having selectively arranged butts and carried by a trickwheel 76, which is provided with a ratchet it and mounted on a verticalpost, being pressed, against an upper bracket by means of a springpressed plunger-8t designed to provide sufiicient friction to preventoverthrow in its advancing movements. The ratchet i8 is acted upon by apawl 82 pivoted at 88 to an arm 88 carried by a vertical shaft 9c, thepawl being urged into engagement with the ratchet by means of a springat. The shaft 56 extends upwardly to the top oi the machine, where-itcarries a bell crank 96, urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed inplan, by a spring t2 against an abutment screw Bowden wire I80 connectedto a lever I8! arranged to be acted upon by suitable cams on the maincam drum I34 of the machine. The arrangement is such that at thebeginning of the mitting of the heel as the lever Hill is moved to itsoutermost position by the cam IN, the

latch-H8 will be released to engage it and prevent any inward movementunder the action oi carried by the arm at of another bell crank pivotedstat and having a second am it provided with a cam following roller it!adapted to be engaged by cams ltd and I96 carried by a disc H6 rotatingwith the needle cylinders. An-

spring t2. As a consequence, rotation of the trick wheel is interrupteduntil, when the heel is completed, the lever I32 is controlled to raisethe hook. I26 to release the lever tilt.

In order to provide for the continuation. oi the tucking through theinstep while interrupting it. through the sole, and to provide controlof the levers 62, 58, 6t and 68 independent of the trick wheel, thereare provided two levers itfl and IE8 urged in counter-clockwisedirection as viewed in Figure d by springs I52 against a stop pin W5.The upper lever I38 is provided with viously be made, and while furtherselection adjustable screw H2 is provided to limit the inward movementof the roller lit by abutment with the fixed bearing element I M.

The teeth of the ratchet l8 subtend'twice the angular spacing of thepattern elements I l. Accordingly, the arrangement is such that, uponeach 180 of movement of the needle cylinders, a-step is given to thetrick wheel to bring the successive pattern elements into cooperationwith the follower levers 62 to 88. To efiect this mult, the two cams EM,and M6 extend outwardly to difierent radial positions from the centerof their rotation. The innermost of these cams are imparts a motion tothe follower roller ldZ only sumcient to advance the trick wheelone-half the angular of the teeth it, i. e., through a distance equal tothe angular of successive elements Id. The cam we, when-it engages theroller 862, imparts to it an additional extent of movement of equalamount, so that in a'slngle revolution of the needle cylinders anadvance of one tooth is is provided corresponding to two of the patternelements ll. Thecams I06 and ill may be provided by difler'ent rises ona single'circular' cam, but the eflect is the same iiseparatecams areprovided as illustrawd. the retraction of cam 858 being murder toprovide perfect continuity of 'the patterning, the advance of the trickwheel must be interrupted during the formation of the heel.

To eflect this result despite the continued move ment or the cams 50dand 8, there is provided the member He pivoted at .l to and providedwith position with respect to the'lever its by means of a spring I22.Normally, this latching lever is prevented from'engaging the lever ltdby the action on its outwardly extending tail portion ofa cam surface mprovided on a lever iidurged toward the right as viewed in Figure a.latching hook 820 urged downwardly toward may be provided by theaddition of other cams such as 52 to 58 and their associated elements,it will be assumed for consistency and simplicity of description thatthe upper selector butts i4 and it are provided on sliders of the instepseries while butts id and 29 are provided on sliders of the soleseries.- The upper cams 52 and t5 accordingly control movements ofinstep needles only, while the cams 56 and 58 control movements of soleneedles only to efi'ect selective tucking. Likewise, levers i3? and E38eifect instep needle control and levers 836 and ltd sole needle control.Lever lid, byreason of connectionv with lever 532 is rendered.-operative upon removal of control from instep needles.-

Inthe'formation oi a stocking, during the hitting Ma 1 x 1 rib top, themechanism for efiecting tucmng is rendered inoperative by the action ofcams on levers I32 and 536 to move levers its, and 038 outwardly,thereby to withdraw the cams 52 to 58. At the same time, .the hook leverM6 will hold the lever it out of position to be acted upon effectivelyby" thecams. IE8 and I06, and consequently there will be no advance ofthe trick wheel it.

When the change to broad rib leg knitting takes place by the suitabletransfer of needlesln conventional fashion, advance of the main cam drumI86 ellects release of levers I32 and 83d,

, andconsequently the trick wheel is rotated step by step and iseffective to control the cams 52 to 58, inclusive, to effect theselective raising of needles to produce tuck stitches as describedabove.

As indicated above, provision is made to efiect the production of tuckstitch patterns throughout the entire .circle of needles withoutproviding any interruption of the pattern through a panel, for example,at the rear of a stocking, as is usually necessary. It is for thispurpose that the two cams we and I05 are provided to eflect advances ofthe trick wheel-at each half revolu- 5 by a spring IE6 and controlledthrough a 7 tion of the needle cylinder. Que oi these advances occurs asthe sole needles are passing the position of the cams 52 to 58, whilethe other occurs as the instep needles are passing these cams. Toindicate how this results in patterning through the circumference of thestocking, reference may be made to Figure 7, in which are illustratedthe butt positions on the trick wheel patterning elements, the positionsprovided with butts being shaded, while those from which butts areremoved or are absent are illustrated without shading. As alreadyindicated, the set-up is such that the upper levers 62 and Cl controlbutts on instep needles only in theposition if and I8, whereas the lowerlevers O6 and 6] control butts in the positions It and 20 on soleneedles only. As indicated at the left of Figure 7, therefore, iindicates the butts controlling instep needles, while s indicates thebutts controlling sole needles.

The vertical columns of butt positions are labeled at the bottom ofFigure 7 to indicate the particular needles during whose passage-by thecams $2 to 58 they are brought into operative relationship with thelevers 82 to '8. For example, the first butt arrangement in the firstcolumn labeled S is brought into position by a step of the trick wheelduring the passage of sole needles by the cams 52 to 58.

It will be evident how this arrangement effects a complete control ofneedles throughout the entirecircumference. As the instep needles, forexample pass the pattern controlling cams. the trick wheel is advanced,but the butt positions controlling instep needle selection are the sameas before. There is, however, a change of butt circumference may beeffected.

- While the ratchet 18 has been described as advanced through a completestep during each revolution'of-the needle cylinder, it will be evidentthat the ratchet may be indexed to correspond to the angular space ofthe trick wheel elements and given a full step upon each half rotationof the needle cylinders. The arrangement described is convenient,however, in that, for example, by omission of cam IS, the mechanism isavailable for other controlling use requiring a single step upon eachrevolution of the cylinders.

It is desirable in some cases to interrupt the .broad ribs in the rearof the stocking several courses in advance of the formation of the heelof the stocking. This is accomplished by transfer of sole needles to thelower cylinder, and 'at the same time it is necessary to interrupt thetuck stitch patterning. To elfect this result, the

the tuck pattern into the instep, the operation of the trick wheel mustbe discontinued, and for this purpose a cam on the main cam drum acts onlever I32, lever ll continuing being acted upon, with the result thatnot only are all of cams 52 to 58 inclusive, withdrawn, but the leverIII is latched, so that the trick wheel remains at rest during theformation of the heel.

When the heel is completed, if ribs are to be continued through theinstep only in the usual fashion. only the lever I32 is released by thecams on the main cam drum I34, with the result that advance of the trickwheel continues and the pattern begins without interruption from the'point where it left off. It will be evident from the fashion in whichthe tucking is eifectedthat no interruption of the pattern will occur byreason of the location of the instep needles in upper inactive positionduring the formation of the heel. While all of the instep needles arelowered at the end of heel knittin by the action of cam 44, if tuckingis to occur ill the first course of rotary knitting some of them areimmediately raised by cam I2 or cam 54.

If either immediately after the formation of the heel or after theformation of some plain sole courses during rotary knitting, the ribsare continued through the sole by transfer of the needles, the tuckpattern in such ribs may also be continued by the release of lever I36.

Prior to the beginning of the toe, it is generally desirable tointerrupt the rib structure and provide several plain courses by thetransfer of all-of the needles to the lower cylinder. Simultaneouslywith the interruption of the ribs, both levers I32 and I" are acted uponby cams to render the patterning mechanism inoperative and stop theadvance of the trick wheel. If the tuck pattern is of a repetitive typewith which no regard need be paid to its initiation, it is immaterial inwhat position the trick wheel is stopped, and the pattern will becorrespondingly started in the next stocking.

In the event, however, that the pattern should be begun in each stockingwith a particular element of the trick wheel operative, provision may bemade for idly moving the trick wheel to a suitable initial positionduring the formation of the toe, and for this purpose it may be timed upby the provision of pawl guarding means in conjunction with a lowratchet tooth, as disclosed, for example, in my Patent 2,012,310. Insuch case, instead of effecting trick wheel stepping control through themedium of the same lever III which control the instep needle patterning,a separate lever may be provided to becontrolledbycamsonthemaincamdrumto ai'i'ect mechanism simflar to thatdescribed in said Patent 2,012,310.

What! claim and desire to protect by Letters 1 Patent is:

1. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles,

means cooperating with said needles for the formation of stitches, meansfor effecting the presentation of yarn to selected needles so that saidselected needles fail'to k'nit normal loops thereof therebyto producetuck stitches, and

presentation of yarn to selected needles so that said selected needlesfail to knit normal loops thereof thereby to produce tuck stitches, andmeans in addition to the normal stitch forming elements for engaging theyarn for forming loose mentioned needles in a loose manner, as comparedwith the manner in which they are laid on needles passing through saidwave.

to knit normal loops thereof thereby to produce tuck stitches, and meansfor engaging the yarn adjacent said selected needles for forming looseloops at the location of the same.

4. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles, means for effecting the presentation of yarn toselected needles so that said selected needles fail to knit normal loopsthereofthereby to produce tuck stitches, and means for abnormallydisplacing the yarn at the location of the selected needles.

5. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles, means for 'efiecting the presentation of yarn toselected needles so that said selected needles fail to knit normal loopsthereof thereby to produce tuck stitches, and means for abnormallyraising knitting instrumentalities adjacent said selected needles forabnormally displacing the yarn at the location of the same.

6. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles, means for efiecting the presentation of yarn toselected needles so that said selected needles fail to knit normal loopsthereof'thereby to produce tuck stitches, and means for abnormallyraising knitting instrumentalities adjacent said selected 11. A knittingmachine comprising a continuous series of cyclically operating elementsfor controlling production of knitted fabric, said elements beingarranged in a plurality of successive groups, pattern means arranged toeffect selection of said elements at a particular phase common to thecycles of operation of elements of both groups and entered successivelyby the various groups, and means for controlling said pat 'tem means sothat, during the passage through said phase of one group of elementssubject .to

selection thereby,,th e pattern means is advanced to effect a subsequentnew selection of elements of a subsequentgroup while not effecting newselection of the group then passing through said phase, said atternmeans being stationary throughout the major portion of each cycle andeach such advance thereof occurring during a small fraction of a cycle.

12. A knitting machine comprising a continuous series of cyclicallyoperating elements for controlling production of knitted fabric, saidelements being arranged in a plurality of successive groups, patternmeans arranged to effect selection of said elements at a particularphase common to the cycles of operation of elements of both groups andentered successively by the various groups, and means, for controllingsaid pattern means so that, during the passage through said phase ofeach group of elements subject to selection thereby. the pattern meansis advanced to eiiect a subsequent new selection of elements of asubsequent group while not effecting new selecneedles to cause adjacentneedles to produce abnormally large loops..

7. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles, means cooperating with said needles for theformation of stitches including a knitting cam down which the needlesnormally pass to draw loops of yarn, means for selectively causingneedles to pass said knitting cam without being engaged thereby, andmeans for placing the yarn on said needles in a slack manner to lie withthe loops already on said needles so that. when the gathered loops aresubsequently cast, loose tucked stitches will be formed.

8. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles,

-a knitting cam down which the needles pass to form loops of said yarn,means for selectively passing needles by said cam to cause them to tuck,and means for causing slack portions oi yarn to lie on the tuckingneedles.

9. A hitting machine comprising a series of needles, means for feedingyarn to said needles, a knitting cam down which the needles pass to adraw loops of yarn, means for selectively passing tion of the group thenpassing through said phase, said pattern meansbeing stationarythroughout the major portion of each cycle and each such advance thereofoccurring during a small fraction of a cycle.

13. A knitting machine comprising a circle of elements rotatingrelatively to cooperating devices during the operation of the machineand controlling the production of knitted fabric, said elements beingarranged in a plurality of sucneedles by said cam to cause them to tuck,and

' means for abnormally raising knitting instrumentalities adjacent saidselected needles to cause adjacent needles to produce abnormally largeloops.

10. The method of forming loose tucked stitches comprising causingneedles to pass through a loop drawing wave, causing selected needlesinterspersed with the aforementionedneedles to fail to pass through saidwave, and, at the region where the first mentioned needles pass throughsuch wave, laying yarn on the second cessive circumferential groups,said cooperating devices including pattern means arranged to .efiectselection of said elements at aparticular phase common to the cycles ofoperation of elements of both groups and entered successively by thevarious groups, and means for imparting a plurality of advances to saidpattern means in each cycle so that, during the passage through saidphase of one group of elements subject to selection thereby, the patternmeans is advanced to efiect a subsequent new selection of elements of asubsequent group while not efiecting new selection of the group thenpassing through said phase, said pattern means being stationarythroughout the major portion of each cycle and each such advance thereofoccurring during a small fraction of a cycle.

14. A hitting machine comprising a'continuis advanced to eiieet asubsequent new selection oi elements oi a subsequent group while noteiiecting new selection oi the group then passing through said phase,said trick wheel being stationary throughout the major portion of eachcycle and each such advance thereoi occurrin during a small fraction oia cycle.

15. A knitting machine comprising a continuous series oi cyclicallyoperating elements for controlling production of knitted .iabric, saidelements being arranged in a plurality oi successive groups. patternmeans arranged to eiiect selection oi said elements at a particularphase common to the cycles oi operation oi elements oi both groups andentered successively by the various groups, and means for controllingsaid pattern-means so that, during passage through said phase oi onegroup oi elements subject to selection thereby, the pattern means isadvanced to eifect a subsequent new selection of elements oi asubsequent group while presenting to the group then passing through saidphase a controlling aspect the same as that Presented prior to saidadvance.

18. A knitting machine comprising a continuous series 01' cyclicallyoperating elements ior controlling production of knitted fabric, saidelements being arranged in a plurality oi successive groups, patternmeans comprising members arunited to effect selection of said elementsat a particular phase common to the cycles oi operation oi elements oiboth groups and entered successively by the various groups, and meansfor controlling said pattern means so that, during the passage throughsaid phase oi one group of elements subject to selection thereby, thepattern means is advanced to move one group of members out oi operativeposition and another group oi members into operative position to eflecta subsequent new selection oi elements of a subsequent group while noteliecting new selection of the group then passing through said phase.

HAROLD E. HOUSEMAN.

